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<title>They look so Pretty when they Bleed by Rainbow_Trout</title>
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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/27079285">They look so Pretty when they Bleed</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rainbow_Trout/pseuds/Rainbow_Trout'>Rainbow_Trout</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Whumptober 2020 [10]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Chicago Fire</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Bandages, Blood Loss, Gunshot Wounds, Hospitals, M/M, Whumptober 2020, like seriously shameless fluff, shameless fluff</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-10-18</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-10-18</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-18 05:35:45</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>2,335</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/27079285</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rainbow_Trout/pseuds/Rainbow_Trout</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Whumptober 2020 day ten - blood loss. </p><p>Different from day nine, both just involve gunshots</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Matthew Casey &amp; Kelly Severide, Matthew Casey/Kelly Severide</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Whumptober 2020 [10]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1953733</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>14</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>55</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Collections:</b></td><td>Whumptober 2020</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>They look so Pretty when they Bleed</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Severide kept quiet as he entered the ER bay, a strange sense of serenity washing over him. The past hour had been absolutely awful, and he’d thought that he’d never be able to relax again. But seeing his boy alive – even if he was unbearably pale in a hospital bed – had allowed him a breath of relief, something he was almost astounded at.</p><p>The blonde was lying back in the bed, eyes closed, oxygen mask secured to his face. A thick, white bandage was secured on his upper arm, a small amount of blood still smudged beneath it. He was surrounded by medical equipment, and a blood bag still hung overhead, but Severide had clocked the blonde’s peaceful expression and had allowed himself a smirk.</p><p>He moved closer, silent, because he didn’t want to wake his boy. Unconsciousness was probably the nicest place for the blonde right now, and he wasn’t going to jeopardize that. Slowly and calmly, he reached out for Casey’s hand, glad that his fingers were no longer blue but wincing at how cold they were.</p><p>Cold because the blonde had lost so much blood, his lips having turned blue as he’d almost bled out on the ground. Severide had done his best to stem the flow, running into danger without a second thought to put pressure on Casey’s wound. Boden had yelled at him for it, but Severide had been right where he’d needed to be as his boyfriend had stubbornly clung to consciousness.</p><p>Brett and Foster had managed to get Casey to hospital in record time, pushing fluids in a desperate attempt to counteract the blood loss. And Matt had fought valiantly, eyes rolling around his head as he’d done his best to just breathe, trying to take comfort in Severide’s firm hand resting on his chest.</p><p>Med had then stitched them up, giving him his first transfusion as soon as he’d been pushed through the doors. Ultimately, Casey had been lucky – the bullet had missed his artery, and Severide had saved his life. But Kelly hadn’t allowed that to comfort him, instead continuing to pace as he’d waited for an update on Matt, mind running through every possible complication that the blonde could face. But Casey had rallied, his sats improving as they’d started him on the second transfusion. He’d still lost a lot of blood – and, as with any gunshot wound, there was going to be a risk of infection – but they were not optimistic that Casey was going to make a full recovery.</p><p>He’d be sore for a while, and he still needed to be observed, but he was going to be <em>fine.</em></p><p>Knowing that his thoughts weren’t going to get him anywhere, Severide took a deep calming breath, before standing, lovingly readjusting Casey’s blankets, and then leaning down to place a firm kiss to his forehead. He let the kiss linger for a moment longer, before quietly sitting back down in his chair.</p><p>And then, his hand went back to Casey’s, entwining their fingers together and starting to soothingly rub his palm. He just couldn’t help it – he needed to be close to his boy, especially so soon after he’d almost lost him.</p><p>Because he was confident that he couldn’t live without him.</p><p>His anxiety must have started to get the better of him again, because he’d tightened his grip in Matt’s hand, massaging it harder and harder. He probably wouldn’t even have noticed, though, had it not been for Matt stirring.</p><p>Immeaditely – not wanting to worry his boy – Severide did his best to banish his fears, forcing a grin onto his face as he perched on the edge of the mattress. He rolled his shoulders – trying to dissipate the remaining tension – and waited patiently for his boy to wake up.</p><p>It was no surprise that Casey was still groggy – he had lost a lot of blood, after all – and he was sluggish as he opened his eyes. They were still rolling in his head as he tried to look around, trying to ascertain where he was.</p><p>Severide just remained patient, maintaining his grasp on Casey’s hand. He didn’t mind how long it took his boy – he would be here. Even if his blonde needed to go back to sleep, he would always be waiting.</p><p>It took another minute for Casey to come to his senses, letting out a low moan as his vision swam. Everything was hopelessly blurry and confusing, but there was one thing that he was sure of – his boy was sitting in front of him.</p><p>His face broke into the biggest grin.</p><p>Kelly was quick to return it, moving one hand to Casey’s knee and lightly squeezing. Still massaging the blonde’s hand, he kept his voice quiet as he asked; “Hey, baby… how are you feeling?”</p><p>Matt just blinked again, eyes seemingly getting stuck when they closed. It was a good question, because he really didn’t know how he felt. Everything felt blurry and drifty, and it wasn’t a feeling that he was used too. His brain felt like mush, and he couldn’t be bothered working out what was happening.</p><p>He didn’t even realise that his head was listing to the side, not until Severide’s soft-yet-callused hand came to the side of his head. Oh so gently, Severide propped Casey’s head up, caringly straightening his neck before helping him slump back against the pillows. Casey hadn’t said anything, his eyes mere slits, so Severide just chuckled at his dazed expression, “Hey, easy, Matty… s’okay…”</p><p>Matt groaned in response, but lightly because he was happy. He did his best to force his heavy eyes open, breaking out into a smile as he saw Severide staring at him with an expression of utter adoration. He thought that he should try to say something intelligent, because Severide was sitting right there, but he was really struggling to come up with anything.</p><p>He felt his brow crinkle with the effort, before feeling Severide’s hand gently come to his forehead, softly smoothing out the lines, “Shh… don’t worry baby… it’s okay… shh…”</p><p>Severide’s soft whisper had kicked his mind back into action, giving him the idea to check on his boy. And suddenly, it was all he could think about. But despite his best intentions, all he could manage was a tired, “Hm.”</p><p>Kelly just chuckled, still concerned but heart melting at the way Casey was looking at him as though he was expecting an answer. Lightly, he moved closer, slipping one hand up to Casey’s hip and rubbing soothingly as he murmured, “I got you, baby… I got you.”</p><p>Casey grunted out his frustration, needing an answer from Severide. But he was still hopelessly sluggish, feeling as though he was moving through honey. He tried his best to push himself up, but his arms felt as though they had no strength.</p><p>But the motion had sent his head flopping forwards, and he gave a light whine as his chin hit his chest. His body started following, and he would have kept going had it not been for Severide’s loving hand, once again straightening him out and settling him back against the mattress.</p><p>“You gotta stop doing that, baby… just lie back… if you want something, I’ll get it.”</p><p>The blonde didn’t respond, still struggling to make sense of the world. So, Kelly just smiled softly as he continued to rub his hip, occasionally skitting his fingers across the blonde’s flat stomach. By now, Casey’s eyes were more than a little half-closed, but they had still managed to find Severide’s. And Severide knew that the eye contact was comforting him, so he’d sit there for as long as he needed.</p><p>They’d stayed like that for a little while longer, each of Casey’s blinks becoming slower, his eyes starting to stick together as he continued to battle sleep. But just as he thought that the blonde had finally drifted off, the blonde jolted awake, fear flooding his eyes as he peered across to Severide, “Sev…”</p><p>It didn’t take a genius to realise that even Casey’s short nap had resulted in a nightmare, and Kelly was quick to place his hand against Casey’s chest, pre-emptively preventing the blonde from sitting up. Again, he started to rub soothingly, cooing down at him as he waited, “Hey… easy, baby… easy…”</p><p>But Casey wasn’t happy, and he let out a long whine as he struggled against Severide’s hand. Kelly thought for a moment, weighing up how much pain Casey was probably in versus how distressed he was, before nodding, moving to Casey’s side and helping him sit forwards, “Okay, baby. Okay. This comfortable?”</p><p>Casey wavered in his hand, really lacking the strength to keep himself up. But Severide just remained at his side, one hand on Casey’s chest, one resting on his back as he continued soothing Casey, “See, Matty? We’re just in the hospital… just in the hospital. And everyone’s okay. You lost a little bit of blood, but that’s alright. It’ll come back, baby. And you’ll be feeling better soon.”</p><p>Severide wasn’t sure how much of his tirade Casey had actually understood, but he didn’t mind as the blonde continued to blearily look around the room. He still seemed to be confused, so Kelly softly repeated himself, continuing to stabilise Casey as he swayed lightly in his grasp, “We’re all okay, yeah, Case? And so are you. You’ll be able to come home soon… then you don’t have to worry about anything, just rest on the couch…”</p><p>With more time, Casey relaxed in his grasp, swaying again in Kelly’s hands. Slowly, Severide eased him back down onto the mattress, still humming to him softly, “That’s it, baby… get some more rest. Get some more rest…”</p><p>Slowly, the blonde’s eyes flicked back to them, and Severide was relieved to see a bit more clarity in them. He smiled down at him, utterly adoring Casey’s expression. He often thought that the blonde took himself too seriously, but he could also understand it. Casey hadn’t grown up in an environment where he could relax or slack off. He’d had to try hard from day one, both to keep up with his schooling, and to hide his home situation. By the time he was in middle school, he was a master of hiding.</p><p>And it hadn’t got easier for him as he’d got older. He’d hidden the fact he was homeless at the academy, and Severide knew that he and Andy were the only ones who had known. And that was only because when Casey had moved in with them, he’d been so surprised at the utter basics. It had still only been a suspicion, at least until they’d all been blind drunk and Casey had confessed everything.</p><p>Even after that, Casey hadn’t been able to catch a break. He’d been promoted to Lieutenant at such a young age and had command of veteran firefighters. But he hadn’t had the name to back himself, so he’d had to prove himself at every point. It had all resulted in his aloofness, because he knew that his boy <em>was</em> aloof. But he also knew it was survival.</p><p>Besides, he was far from aloof when they were between the sheets…</p><p>Still, it was nice to see him so relaxed, and he couldn’t help himself as he leant down, delicately placing a kiss to his forehead.</p><p>At his kiss, Casey’s face broke out into a giddy grin, once again leaning towards Kelly. His good hand sluggishly made his way towards Severide’s, clumsily gripping his hand. He squeezed, before swallowing tiredly, hoping that he was getting his message across. He wanted to tell Kelly that he loved him – because he did. Dammit, he did – but he was having trouble finding the words, let alone forming them.</p><p>But Kelly didn’t understand, instead casting a concerned eye over his blonde, “Shh… s’okay, baby. Do you want something? Water? Here…”</p><p>He took the cup, lightly moving the straw to Casey’s lips. But Matt wasn’t thirsty, and he moaned as he turned his head away.</p><p>“Ah… okay. Not water… sorry, baby. My mistake.”</p><p>Slightly frustrated, Casey groaned again, squeezing Kelly’s hand tightly. Now that Severide had taken the water away, it actually seemed like a good idea, because maybe it would clear the frog in his throat. But it was probably too late, and not his main objective.</p><p>He whined and squeezed again, eyes barely open. He felt Kelly’s other hand come to his forehead again, gently stroking his forehead, “I’m sorry, baby. I don’t understand. But it’s okay… you’re okay, and so is everyone… I’ll be here when you wake up… so it’s okay…”</p><p>As much as Casey wanted to give up and fall asleep there, he was determined. Knowing that Severide was going to wait by his side until he woke up made him love him even more, and made him all the more determined to deliver his message, “Mmm… ke… Kel… Kell’ly.”</p><p>Seeing and understanding his blonde’s determination, Severide leant down, doing what he could to make it easier for his blonde, “I’m here, Matty… here. Not going anywhere.”</p><p>He continued to listen patiently as Casey tried to formulate his words, still rubbing soft circles on his chest. He also kept humming softly, patient as he waited for his blonde.</p><p>“Sev… K… Kell… l… lov… love… love ooo…”</p><p>Kelly shouldn’t have been surprised by his blonde’s words, not really. Because he knew that his blonde loved him, and he knew that his blonde was selfless. But the fact that Casey was putting his fading energy into telling him that he loved him… well, that was just perfect.</p><p>He grinned, a huge, genuine grin, leaning down and kissing Casey on the forehead, “I love you too, baby… I love you too. So much Matty… so, so much.”  </p><p>Casey felt his heart swell at his boyfriend’s reaction, Severide’s joy being every part worth his effort. Another sloppy smile covered his face, before his eyes slipped closed, ready for a deep healing sleep.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I hope you enjoyed this one!</p></blockquote></div></div>
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